The Burden of Freedom
by Blue-on-the-run
Summary: Sonic has always looked out for number one; no responsibilities for him. But what happens when a new friend comes along and starts getting on his nerves? A short story about how Sonic might have met Tails.


The green hills rolled by at lightning speed. Everything was a blur to the naked eye, no one could catch a glimpse of the blue figure rushing past the palm trees, pulling them in the same direction by pure force. They almost looked as though they were going to be pulled up from the roots by the wind itself! The ground almost shook at the presence of this blue blur, whatever it was, it was taking the world by storm, like a storm. Like a huge gust of wind that threatens to take everything up in it's grasp then throw it all back down just for the fun of it. It was bold. It was reckless. It was incredibly _fast_.

The blue streak dashed through the loop-de-loop like structures of the zone, leaped across deep canyons and weaved in and out of small forests, all the while keeping the same pace. It raced across the white beaches, leaving a huge dust cloud in it's wake before it raced over the crashing waves as if to show off it's true abilities.

It finally slowed it's pace just enough for it to take form, only enough so that you could get a look at it if you didn't blink. It's form was that of a blue hedgehog, built very round and small. He was still quite young, appearance told others that he couldn't be any older than a preteen. His posture was very relaxed, regardless of the fact that he was traveling over a hundred miles an hour, he yawned as his disinterested gaze glanced over his shoulder.

"Come on, dumbots. I'm falling asleep here! Do I really have to slow down even more just for you guys to keep up?" he spoke in a loud, cocky tone of voice that suggested that he ruled the world, if only for that moment. His disinterest vanished from his face as he curiously looked back, almost hopefully, waiting for the flying bug-like robots to come into view. He slowed a little more, watching carefully, listening attentively. Finally, a deep buzzing sound could be heard from the hills behind him, growing deeper and louder as they approached.

"Yes!" the hedgehog grinned excitedly as he returned his sights to the land ahead of him. "Hey hey, bolt buckets! I was starting to wonder if you'd forgotten me!" he put on a fake look of sorrow before laughing out loud.

The robots quickly responded by showering the young racer with laser fire, browning the grass all around him as he ran. He spun around and ran backwards, placing his arms behind his head in a carefree gesture. "Oh, puh-lease, I could avoid those with my eyes closed." he snickered as he shut his eyes before making snoring sounds in his throat.

He continued this little game of stupid cat and sleeping mouse for a few more minutes before deciding that he was done playing with the buzz bomber robots. He veered off the checkered grass and onto a dirt patch, stirring up a huge dirt storm. The bombers followed, pausing over the cloud of dust and began firing into it. The dirt settled, leaving no trace of the hedgehog. The robots scanned the area, searching for where he might've gone. They couldn't afford to lose him now, not after chasing him all morning. As their scanners finished they confirmed to each other the location of their target to be right above...

The blue hedgehog came crashing down on top of them, one by one as he spun in a tightly curled ball. He bounced off of each of them like a well cordinated rubber ball, crushing the robots before he uncurled himself and landed a short distance away. The buzz bombers fell to the ground, causing small explosions and leaving a trail of smoke behind.

The hedgehog dramatically rose to his feet, turning to face the wreckage with a victorious look on his face. "Woohoo! That's right, butt-bombers, you just got owned AGAIN!" he laughed out loud and began dancing around, kicking up dirt and twirling a few times. "Sonic the Hedgehog, you are too awesome for words." he smiled to himself, "Why, thank you! I already knew that, of course."

He strolled on down the path, carrying out a conversation with himself and inserting his own compliments every now and then. He failed to notice the pair of robotic eyes watching him from atop a tree, marking him off as a target once again.

A coconut was hurled into the back of Sonic's head, the force so surprising that it knocked him forward and planted his face in the ground. He shoved himself up and spit out some dirt, growling as he spun around to face his attacker. "A monkey!? A robot monkey that chucks coconuts? Now that's original." he rolled his eyes and sneered. The monkey robot responded with a few mettalic grunts as it reached for more ammo. "Yeah, yeah, you want to try that again?" Sonic crouched low and pointed a taunting finger at himself, "You wanna piece o' me? Huh? Huh? Do ya?"

The robot flung another coconut at high speed, giving the hedgehog just second to lean out of the way. Sonic grabbed hold of it and spun it on his finger as he grinned widely, "Look what I can do! Bet you can't do this, huh?" he laughed before tossing the nut into the air and kicking it straight towards the robot. He winced as it impacted the monkey's face, leaving a huge dent as it fell out of it's tree, exploding on impact.

"Stupid monkey bot!" Sonic teased as he tickled his side with one hand and scratched his head with the other, dancing on one foot as he grunted and screeched like a chimp. "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if you wanted to, you dumb-- OUCH!" another coconut fell from the tree, landing squarely on Sonic's head. He grumbled and groaned as he kicked it, sending it flying into a nearby bush. Rubbing his head thoughtfully, the hedgehog turned his back and mumbled to himself about his new hatred of coconuts.

As he wrapped his thoughts around himself, that kicked nut came out from the bush, bumping the back of his shoe and commanding his attention. He glanced down, bewildered and starting to wonder if these coconuts were just attracted to him. He picked it up and flung it back into the bush, waiting to see what would happen. A few long seconds passed, providing him with no answers. He shrugged and turned back just as the nut came out from the bush again, landing in front of him.

He marched towards the bush, "Alright, who's there? Come on out!" he demanded. No answer. The bush just sat there inanimately, like most plants do. He tapped his left foot impatiently, "Helloooooo? Anybody there?" his voice grew more irritated the longer he waited.

His ears perked up as he could've sworn he heard footsteps behind him... _Naw, that's your foot tapping, stupid_. He paused all of his impatient gestures and listened carefully, hearing nothing but the wind and a few birds chirping. He resumed his tapping and heard what sounded like an echo, a little softer than the sound of his own foot hitting the ground. Tap, tap, tap, tap, he continued on, listening. _Pat, pat, pat_... Ah, he was hearing something other than his own foot!

He spun around with a look of triumph, "AHA!" he shouted and pointed straight ahead.

No one was there. Not a soul in sight as the hedgehog stood there with his finger pointing at nothing. _Weird..._ He sighed and crossed his arms, wondering if he was just tired or hungry. Most likely the latter of the two. His ears once again flicked as a new sound caught his attention. It sounded like... Breathing. Much quicker in pace than his own, but still very soft. He glanced left and right, over his shoulder and above him, finding nothing. A new thought entered his mind as he spread his feet apart and bent down, glancing between his ankles.

A big pair of baby blue eyes gazed into his, blinking curiously as they observed the hedgehog. A scream came from behind those eyes, followed by a frightened yell of the hedgehog's, both leaping out of their skin as they crawled away from each other in terror.

Sonic watched as the furry creature scurried back into the bush, quivering in fright as it tried to keep quiet. The hedgehog rose to his feet and dusted himself off, _Some kid playing jokes._ he told himself as he rolled his eyes and turned back to the path. He crouched down low, narrowing his eyes and grinning like a racer revving the engine. He counted down silently then took off, leaving a smoking trail behind as he disappeared over the hills.

The small creature peeked out from the bush, his eyes wide with awe and wonder. How could any living thing move so fast? The little fox wanted to find out who the amazingly fast and cool boy was. He stepped out from the bushes and followed the smoldering trail.

* * *

Sonic was enjoying himself immensely. With each canyon he crossed and forest he passed, he challenged himself to some quick physical task to test his speed. Every now and then he ran into more pesky robots, each one trying to destroy him, but they hardly even bothered him. He had some real fun playing around with those machines.

He slowed to a comfortable pace for cruising and looked to his left, the beautiful ocean was a very soothing sight. A sigh escaped him as a thought struck out of the blue. He realized just how much he loved his life... How pleased he was to be alive today. He was happy with each new challenge that came to greet him, he was perfectly capable of facing whatever obstacles were in his way and most importantly, he was free.

Freedom. That was what he lived for. It wasn't the thrill of running at supersonic speeds, though that did make him feel unbound. It wasn't the suspense and adventure, either. Above all the talents and hobbies Sonic had, he treasured his freedom more than anything. Nothing could stop him from chasing the sun beyond the horizon, playing around with those annoying robots or just stopping right where he was to breathe in that salty sea air. Yeah, life was good.

He heard the sound of leaves rustling in the trees behind him, and he knew it wasn't the wind. He turned to the tree and glanced up to see that same little fox duck behind one of the large leaves on the palm tree. Sonic chuckled to himself, _Did he follow me here?_ He walked towards the tree and looked around for the kit. He knew he had seen a bushy tail following the little furball, confirming his suspicions of the tiny creature's species.

"Hi there." he said to the tree. No answer, just a quiet rustle here and there. "Come on, kid, I don't bite." the hedgehog continued, "I promise." Anyone passing by would've thought the boy to be crazy. Talking to a tree? Somebody must have been really bored. The hedgehog placed his hands on his hips and sighed, "Alright, just stay up there and don't say anything. It was nice meeting you, too." he set his sights back on the trail before him and took off running yet again.

The fox stuck his head out of the leaves and watched as the hedgehog ran at breakneck speed. Nothing was cooler than that! He leaped out of the tree and followed after the super cool hedgehog.

* * *

The next day brought the same adventure. The same robots chasing him around the zone, trying to eliminate him, Sonic didn't seem to care. He always had some game to play with his pursuers. But something was different this time... One of his pursuers wasn't a robot. It was that same kit from the day before, chasing him around the island. A smile pressed Sonic's lips as he glanced behind him. _The kid can follow me if he wants. No harm in that, right? I'll just let him do what he wants._

From that point on, the hedgehog ignored the little fox, going on about his business and challenging himself to move even faster. Nearing the end of the day he hadn't expected to see any sign of the kit anymore, not after all that running around, there was no way anyone could still be on his heels after that. Much to his surprise, he heard that same shaking of leaves as he had been hearing all day.

_What in the world?_ he slapped his forehead as he walked towards the trees. "What the heck!? How is it that I've been racing all over this island all day and you still are following me? I should've left you behind miles and miles ago! How on earth are you keeping up with me!?" the hedgehog was obviously frustrated, his yelling and clenched fists proved it. _Since when is any living thing able to keep up with me? _I'm_ the fastest thing alive. Faster than anything and anyone_. he scowled at the thought of someone also possessing his trademark speed.

A hoarse, timid voice squeaked out from beyond the leaves, "I-I'm sorry, mister. I j-just thought you looked really cool... and..." the kit trailed off as his voice trembled the more he spoke.

The hedgehog's features softened quickly as he loosened his tense muscles and put on a look of sympathy. "Hey, I'm not mad at you, don't be scared. I just want to know how you're keeping up with me. Normally nobody can follow me around for very long." Sonic almost snickered at the very thought. The fox lowered one of the leaves just enough to peek out at the hedgehog. After a few moments of watching and making sure that he wasn't going to be attacked, the kit slowly descended out of the tree.

He twisted his two tails together and flew down to the trunk, standing in front of the hedgehog. He took his twin tails and shielded himself with them, hoping that he hadn't angered the cool guy at all. Sonic stood frozen, dumbfounded. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. Did this fox just fly? He shook his head and even slapped his face a few times to be sure that he wasn't dreaming.

"P-Please mister... I don't know how I can keep up with you. I just... Can." the fox squeaked. Sonic shook his head, "You can... Fly?" he laughed, "A fox with two tails that can fly?" He placed a hand over his eyes and belted out more laughter, simply amazed at the kid he had just met.

The fox buried his face in his hands, whimpering and sniffling in shame. Sonic silenced himself and took a step towards the kit, "Aw, I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you, I just think you're really cool." he gently placed a hand on the kid's shoulder. The fox froze for a moment, lifting his head to look at the hand on his shoulder, then gazing up into the emerald green eyes looking down at him. "R-Really?"

Sonic nodded. "What's your name, squirt?" he held out his hand to the kit. Hesitantly, the fox took hold of his hand and was pulled up to a more confident position. "I'm Miles Prower." he answered, "But my friends call me Tails. I mean, if I had any friends, I'd tell them to call me Tails. But I don't, so you can just call me--"

The hedgehog laughed, "I get it. I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog! It's nice to meet you, Tails." he shook the kit's hand before turning his back to him. Tails' eyes lit up with adoration. Had he really just called him by his nickname? Did that mean they were really friends? Oh, happy day!

"Well, I'll see you around, kid." Sonic winked and ran off again. Tails watched him take off, such wondrous speed! He spun his two tails again and flew into the air. He had to catch up to his new friend, Sonic.

* * *

The next day; the same thing. Sonic raced around and played with more robots, challenged himself to go even faster, and every now and then caught sight of Tails trailing behind. Sonic chuckled, guess he had a fan following him around. Not a big deal. The hedgehog raced forward and made faces at the robots as he passed them by. He glanced back to see Tails flying after him, also passing by the angry 'bots.

Sonic's heart skipped a beat as he made a sudden U-turn and ran towards the fox. He leaped and curled into a ball, smashing through the attacking machines until they were nothing but scraps. "Wow! That was so cool!" Tails squealed as he watched Sonic come out from the spinning orb and land on his feet.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look kid, you've got to be more careful around here, okay?" Sonic groaned and kept running. Tails remained where he was for a few moments, staring into space as he pondered the hedgehog's words. "Okay!" he grinned and flew after his hero once more. He caught up to Sonic and saw more robots chasing them. He gasped and quickly announced, "Don't worry, Sonic! I'll be careful! They won't get me!"

The hedgehog cringed at the shrill voice of the kit and glanced back to see a swarm of buzz bombers closing in. Sonic's eyes went wide and he quickly gripped Tails' hands and pulled him left and right, avoiding the lasers being rained down on them. He raced forward, accelerating until he could no longer hear the buzzing of the bombers behind them. "Wow, you're so super cool and fast!" Tails giggled.

Sonic released his grip on the kit and sighed. His relief was short lived as he saw another one of those monkeys in a tree, throwing coconuts down at the little fox. "Tails! Look out!" he shouted just in time for Tails to ascend out of danger. The coconut missed it's main target, but hit the hedgehog directly on the head. A much better shot than the robot had expected. Sonic growled as he picked up a rock and threw it at the monkey, knocking it out of the tree.

"Wow, did it hurt really bad when that coconut hit you?" Tails asked innocently as he hovered next to the hedgehog. Sonic yelled in annoyance as he kicked the nearby coconut. "I didn't ask for any of this! I didn't want to have to babysit a little kid and save him from the robots that are after me!" he kicked every rock that he could.

"Are you okay, Sonic..?" the kit made the mistake of drawing attention to himself. Sonic's frustration was quickly directed toward him, "Why won't you leave me alone!?" he screamed, but was instantly sorry afterwards. Tails' eyes filled to the brim with tears, his lip quivered as he bit his tongue and turned away, taking flight quickly.

Sonic took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Aw, man. Tails, I'm sorry... Tails?" he called out to the little fox. No answer. That same silence that followed the first few times he'd tried to communicate with the kit. He whirled around to kick one more rock before stomping his foot furiously, "Stupid! You yelled at a little kid!" he roared at himself.

* * *

And so the hedgehog moved on. Still searching for his way out of the zone, he didn't feel much for racing around anymore. He didn't want to play games with the robots, nor did he want to leap across the canyons. He didn't know what he wanted. What was this feeling he had? Was it guilt..? Shame? Regret?

He rubbed his head and sighed. Whatever this emotion was, it was very unfamiliar. Sonic never regretted anything. He never looked back before. What was wrong with him? He wandered throughout the zone, quietly thinking to himself and wondering where his spirits had gone.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" a deep, menacing voice asked. Sonic looked up and rolled his eyes, "Dr. Robotnik. How nice to see you." he sneered sarcastically. The round man in the hovercraft chortled, "I've been waiting for you to show up you little, blue pest! Now you can bear witness to my latest creation!" he pressed a few buttons on his control panel. The ground rumbled as a large, four-wheeled machine came from over the hill. It was much bigger than Sonic was, and held a malicious drill on the front.

"Nice hood ornament, Doc. Is this really your latest work?" the hedgehog placed his hands on his hips as he stared up at the wheeled drill. The hovercraft came down and placed itself into the drill, "Not really. I built this two weeks ago in anticipation of your next appearance. But that's not the point! Prepare to die, hedgehog!" Robotnik cackled as he started driving the drill towards him.

Sonic leaped over it as it passed by, causing the Doctor trouble as he had to turn the huge thing around and go back for another try. Sonic just jumped over it again, quite easily at that. "Come on, Robo-brain, are you serious?" he yawned. Robotnik grumbled as he went back again, trying desperately to hit that hedgehog.

_Unbelievable_. Sonic shook his head. Not only was this way too easy, he wasn't enjoying any of the Doctor's irritation either. He was bored and almost wanted to walk away and forget all about this encounter. Isn't this what you always wanted and loved? a small voice at the back of his mind asked him. _You're free, aren't you? Free to do whatever you want, whenever you want. Nothing holding you back. No rules, no regulations... No responsibility._

Was that really his whole problem? Did he really miss the innocent little guy that much? His thoughts were shattered as he heard a triumphant cry, "I'll save you, Sonic!"

The hedgehog snapped back to reality as the giant drill approached him. He felt himself get lifted high into the air by his arms. His feet dangled as he nearly panicked at this new development until he glanced upward.

"Tails! You came back!" he shouted excitedly, very pleased to see the little kit as all of those strange emotions faded away. Tails giggled, "Aw, 'course I came back, Sonic. We're friends! Are you happy to see me?" he asked almost expecting a stern answer. Laughing, Sonic slapped his forehead in relief, "You bet I am, kiddo! Listen, can you fly me above that big machine?"

Tails looked down at the truck-like drill and nodded, "Yeah, no problem! That thing is so slow!" he laughed. Sonic nodded, "Yeah... Yeah, it is! Let's go get him, Tails!"

The duo plunged down towards the Doctor's machine, and strangely, Sonic never felt more alive. He had his spirits back again. Where had they gone in the first place? Why did they leave? _They went with Tails... _He grinned as realization flushed his features. That was what he was missing all along. This little kid who seemed to be such a burden, such a responsibility, was really what Sonic had always wanted. Someone who personally needs him. His best friend. A hero's sidekick.


End file.
